Wrench



Oct. 29, 1929. w. PARKER, JR

WRENCH Filed May 8, 1926 |2ENTO% Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRENCH Application filed May 8, 1926.

This invention relates to wrenches, and par-' ticularly to an improved quick adjustable wrench which may be readily fitted to articles of various sizes upon which it is desired to exert force by the wrench.

I provide a wrench having a pair of relatively adjustable jaws, one of the jaws having locking means thereon, such jaw being movable into and out of locking position with respect to the other jaw. Preferably, one of the aws is slidable and is provided with racklike teeth, while the other aw is pivoted on the wrench frame and has one or more teeth adapted to engage the rack teeth on the slidable aw. The pivoted jaw is provided with a small spring which will normally tend to throw it out of engagement with the rack teeth so that the slidable jaw may be readily adjusted to position, but the very act of fitzo ting the wrench on the article to be twisted is effective for causing moving of the pivoted jaw and a consequent locking of the slidable jaw. Actual experience with the wrench proves that it is very readily and accurately 23 adjustable.

Preferably, the ratchet teeth on the pivoted jaw are so arranged that an increase of pres sure or spreading force between the working faces of the two jaws tends to move the ratchet teeth into the rack teeth. This arrangement effectually prevents slipping of the slidable jaw during operation of the wrench.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the present preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to a pipe wrench,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of my improved wrench;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the wrench shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the pivoted jaw in a different position.

In the illustrated embodiment of the in vention there is shown a wrench having a handle 2 integral with a body portion indieated generally by the reference character 3. This body portion has an opening therethrough adapted to receive a slidable jaw 4. It is also provided with a pivot pin 5 on which Serial No. 107,669.

is mounted a aw 6. Figure 3 shows the jaw 6 in its free position, and, as will be apparent therefrom, a spring 7 is efiective for tilting the jaw 6 in a clockwse direction, as viewed in the drawing, until such movement is limited by the inclined face 8 of the body portion 3.

The tilting jaw 6 is provided with ratchet teeth 9 which lie on the side of the pivot pin 5 opposite the side on which the working face 10 of the jaw is placed. These ratchet teeth may be arranged in any desired manner, but preferably they are arranged on an arc of a circle whose center is at C. \Vhen the ratchet teeth are so disposed, the movable jaw 4 is free to rock about the pivoted jaw to a limited extent and this, of course, is desirable in a pipe wrench.

A flat spring 11 is carried by the body portion 3 and coacts with the slidable jaw 4.

The slidable jaw 4 is provided with rack teeth 12 which cooperate with the ratchet teeth 9 on the pivoted jaw. When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 3, the rack teeth 12 are substantially out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 9 and the jaw 4 may be moved back and forth to provide a wrench opening of the desired size. A stop 13 is provided for limiting this movement and for preventing the entire removal and possible loss of the slidable jaw 4.

In operation the wrench is placed over the article to be twisted, such as a pipe, and the jaw 4 is slid toward the pivoted jaw 6. When the jaws are so close together that the object begins to be gripped, the resistance of the spring 7 is overcome. and the jaw 6 is moved around its pivot pin 5 until the ratchet teeth 9 firmly engage the rack teeth 12. Power may then be applied to the handle 2 of the wrench. IVhen this occurs the slidable jaw 4 rocks around the ratchet teeth 9 and the teeth 10 and 10 bite into the pipe and secure a firm hold. The spring 11 is effective for maintaining the slidable jaw 4 initially in such position that the rocking action of the jaw will later be available for gripping the pipe or other object.

I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to a pipe wrench, but it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the form shown since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wrench, comprising a body member, a relatively slidable jaw, the body member permitting rocking of the slidable jaw therein, a jaw pivoted in the body member, there being rack-like teeth on the slidable jaw, and cooperating teeth on the pivoted jaw, the-teeth on the pivoted jaw being arranged on an arc to permit rocking of the slidable jaw therearound without disengagement, the center of the are on which the last-mentioned teeth are urged being at'a point other than the pivot point of said jaw.

2. A wrench, comprising a handle member, arelatively slidable jaw carried thereby, the handle member permitting rocking of the slidable jaw, a cooperating jaw pivoted in the handle member, the pivoted jaw having a working face, there being rack-like teeth on the slidable jaw, and cooperating teeth on the pivoted jaw, the last-mentioned teeth being arranged on an arc of a circle and the jaw being pivoted at a point lying between the centerofsuch arc-and the workingface of the aw. a

3., A wrench, comprising. a body member. a relativelyslidable jaw, the body member permitting rocking of the slidable jaw during its gripping action, a jaw pivoted in the body member, there being rack-like teeth on the slidable jaw, and cooperating teeth mounted on the pivoted jaw on an are that is eccentric to the pivot of the jaw for movement into engagement with the teeth on the slidable jaw during the gripping action of the wrench.

4. A wrench comprising a handle, a relatively slidable jaw, the handle permitting rocking of the slidable jaw therein, a second jaw pivoted on the handle, there. being racklike teeth on the pivoted jaw, the teeth on the pivoted jaw being arranged on an arc to permit rocking of the slidable jaw therearound without disengagement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand.

WILLIAM PARKER, JR. 

